Toy apparatus



A ril 28, 1964 M. GR EN 3,130,511

TOY APPARATUS Filed Feb. 24, 1959 INV ENT OR. We? fiefa/v 3,130,517 TOY APPARATUS Martin Green, 155 Airmont Road, Mahwah, NJ. Filed Feb. 24, 195% Ser. No. 795,031 2 Claims. (CI. 4651) The present invention relates to toys and, more particularly, to apparatus adapted for attachment to rings or hoops to convert the latter into another form of toy.

At present, the so-called hula hoops are extremely popular because they afford may different ways of playing therewith. These hoops generally comprise a hollow ring formed of a synthetic resin.

The present invention aims to provide apparatus adapted for removable attachment to a ring including means for supporting an object or objects within the ring and means circumferentially disposed with respect to these means for enabling the ring to be eccentrically rotated about an axis extending laterally of the ring.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide apparatus which enables the ring to be played with in another fashion.

Another object is to provide a ring with such apparatus, whereby the ring when played with is both an entertain ing and educational toy.

Another object is to provide such apparatus which can be attached to existing rings in a rapid and convenient manner.

A further object is to accomplish the foregoing in a simple and economical manner.

Other and further objects will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ring having apparatus in accordance with the present invention attached thereto.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 22 on FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the handle for rotating the ring.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a platform for supporting an object within the ring.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 on FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows, illustrating a mounting detail for the platform.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 5-5 on FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows, showing a tray for supporting another object within the ring.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 on FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows, showing a mounting detail for the tray.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a toy generally comprising a ring 10 of the hula hoop type, a stand 11 on the ring, and an assembly 12 including a handle 13 extending laterally of the ring at a point substantially diametrically opposite the stand 11, which handle is mounted for rotating the ring in the manner to be described hereinafter. In addition, there is shown a tray 14 intermediate the stand 11 and assembly 12.

The stand 11 comprises a platform 15 and means on the under side of the platform, such as one or more clip members 16, three being shown by way of example, for removably attaching the stand to the ring with the platform facing the geometric center of the ring. If desired, the stand can be constructed of synthetic resin and be fabricated in one piece including the platform and the clips.

United States Patent 0 "ice The handle assembly 12 further includes a clamp comprising a pair of complementary strap members 17 and 18, each strap of which has an arcuate end portion for embracingly engaging the ring. Strap 18 is the longer of the two straps and has at its other end a right angled portion 19 with its free end adapted to be fulcrumed against the other end of the strap 17. Both straps 17 and 18 include aligned apertures 21 for a bolt 22 which in conjunction with a wing nut 23 is adapted to compress the straps against the ring 10 to secure the handle assembly to the ring. The bolt 22 is preferably secured to the strap 18 by a nut 24 threaded onto the bolt 22 against the inner surface of the strap 18, as shown.

The handle 13 has an axial bore 26 through which the shank of a bolt 27 extends, the diameter of the bolt 27 being smaller than that of the bore 26 to enable the handle to be freely rotatable thereon. The head 28 of bolt 27 is rigidly secured to the strap portion 19 while the free end 29 of the bolt 27 is disposed in a counterbore 31 with a nut 32 threaded thereon, for rotatably securing the handle 13 to the bolt. Between the handle 13 and the strap portion 19 is shown an enlarged washer 33 on the bolt 27 for protecting ones hand during manipulation of the handle in turning the ring 19.

In playing with the hula hoop, the stand 11 and the handle assembly 12 are attached and positioned as shown in FIG. 1, with the platform 15 in a horizontal position, and an object, such as a drinking glass 34, is placed on the platform. The handle 13 is then grasped in one hand and the ring 12 is twirled rapidly to rotate the ring eccentrically about the bolt 27.

By reason of centrifugal force the glass 34 is not upset and remains in position during rotation of the ring 10. Upon becoming more expert in twirling the ring 10, one can then place liquid in the glass and perform without spilling the liquid. Young children will be greatly amused and greatly entertained by this feature, whereas to older chfldren it is an educational demonstration of centrifugal force.

With further increase in expertness there can next be added one or more trays 14 to the ring, one tray being mounted as shown in FIG. 1 at the left side of the ring between the platform 11 and the handle 13, while another tray 14 (not shown) may be added similarly at the right side of the ring with the tray facing inwardly. While the trays 14 have been indicated as being disposed inwardly of the ring 10, it is of course feasible for the trays to be mounted so that they extend outwardly of the ring.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the tray 14 comprises a flat bottom 36 with a narrow rim 37 therearound. A clamp 38, similar to that used in attaching the handle 13 to the ring, rigidly secures the tray 14 to the ring 10, as by a rivet 3? interconnecting a thickened rim portion 41 of the tray 14 and the clamp 38. It will be noted (see FIG. 6) that the tray 14 is attached to the clamp 38 at such an angle that the tray bottom 36 will assume a horizontal position when so attached to the ring.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the apparatus in accordance with the present invention provides a novel and useful toy which is constructed of a minimum number of parts adapted to be manufactured in an economical manner. For further economy the stand 11 may be secured to the ring 10 by a split clamp assembly similar to that shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 and thereby eliminate the clips 16.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matters are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy comprising a ring, a stand on said ring facing the center of said ring for supporting an object thereon in a radially extending direction, means for attaching said stand to said ring, a rigid handle for said ring extending laterally thereof at a point substantially diametrically opposite said stand, and swivel means for rotatably at taching said handle to said ring, whereby upon orbital movement of said handle said ring is eccentrically rotated in a vertical plane, said handle attaching means including a clamp having a pair of separable strap members with arcuate ends for embracingly engaging said ring in a radial plane and with the other ends thereof fulcrumed against each other, a bolt having a head and extending across said strap members intermediate the ends thereof, and a nut threaded on said bolt and engaging one of said strap members to constrict said strap members in conjunction with the head of said bolt, said handle having an axial bore therethrough and a counter-bore at its outer end, an elongated bolt extending through said bore and rigidly secured to said other ends of said strap members, and a nut threadedly engaging the free end of said bolt disposed in said handle counter-bore, said handle being freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said elongated bolt.

2. A toy comprising a ring, at least one tray on said ring for supporting an object thereon in an upright position, clamping means for removably attaching said tray to said ring, a handle for said ring extending laterally thereof, and clamping means for rotatably attaching said handle to said ring, said tray and handle clamping means each including a clamp having a pair of separable strap members With arcuate ends for embracingly engaging said ring in a radial plane and with the other ends thereof fulcrumed against each other, a bolt having a head and extending across said strap members intermediate the ends thereof, and a nut threaded on said bolt and engaging one of said strap members to constrict said strap members in conjunction with the head of said bolt, said handle having an axial bore therethrough and a counterbore at its outer end, an elongated bolt extending through said bore and rigidly secured to said other ends of said strap members, and a nut threadedly engaging the free end of said bolt disposed in said handle counter-bore, said handle being freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said elongated bolt, said tray having a rim therearound with an opening therethrough, and rivet means interconnecting said rim and the other ends of said strap members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 178,352 Wheeler June 6, 1876 1,150,880 Pence Aug. 24, 1915 1,676,015 Feick July 3, 1928 2,684,850 Williams July 27, 1954 2,928,206 Kuhn Mar. 15, 1960 

1. A TOY COMPRISING A RING, A STAND ON SAID RING FACING THE CENTER OF SAID RING FOR SUPPORTING AN OBJECT THEREON IN A RADIALLY EXTENDING DIRECTION, MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID STAND TO SAID RING, A RIGID HANDLE FOR SAID RING EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREOF AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SAID STAND, AND SWIVEL MEANS FOR ROTATABLY ATTACHING SAID HANDLE TO SAID RING, WHEREBY UPON ORBITAL MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE SAID RING IS ECCENTRICALLY ROTATED IN A VERTICAL PLANE, SAID HANDLE ATTACHING MEANS INCLUDING A CLAMP HAVING A PAIR OF SEPARABLE STRAP MEMBERS WITH ARCUATE ENDS FOR EMBRACINGLY ENGAGING SAID RING IN A RADIAL PLANE AND WITH THE OTHER ENDS THEREOF FULCRUMED AGAINST EACH OTHER, A BOLT HAVING A HEAD AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAID STRAP MEMBERS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, AND A NUT THREADED ON SAID BOLT AND ENGAGING ONE OF SAID STRAP MEMBERS TO CONSTRICT SAID STRAP MEMBERS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HEAD OF SAID BOLT, SAID HANDLE HAVING AN AXIAL BORE THERETHROUGH AND A COUNTER-BORE AT ITS OUTER END, AN ELONGATED BOLT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BORE AND 